Stanislaus
County
Biographies
WILLIAM
COBURN COOK
W.
Coburn Cook, lawyer, was born July 3, 1892, in Gloucester, Massachusetts; the
son of Reverend W. Fletcher and Florence M. (Packer).
He obtained his preliminary
education at De Pauw University Academy and
Albuquerque (New Mexico) High School; his preparatory education at the New
Mexico University, graduating in 1913 with the degree of B.A. in classics, and
from Oxford University (Rhodes Scholar) in 1917 with the B.A. degree in the Honour School of Jurisprudence (M.A. degree, 1940). He was
admitted to the California bar in 1919, and Nevada bar in 1934.
In 1919, Mr. Cook entered law
practice at Turlock, California, in association with Andrew Johnston (deceased,
1921) and has continued there ever since, specializing in municipal law. He has
been connected with numerous United States Supreme Court decisions (New Deal)
on Municipal Bankruptcy. His practice is not only statewide but includes cases
in Montana, Washington, Oregon, Arizona and Texas.
Mr. Cook served as City Judge of
Turlock, 1926 to 1930; District Attorney of Alpine County, California, 1932 to
1934, and from 1948. He is counsel for the First National Bank, Armour Creameries, Turlock Irrigation District, City of
Turlock, Gustine Drainage District, Hughson Sanitary District, and other public
agencies. He is active in the State Chamber of Commerce (member of Highway
Committee), the Western Fairs Association (past president), Stanislaus County
Fair (secretary) and the American Legion (past commander). He is a trustee of
Church Divinity School of the Pacific at Berkeley, California.
He is a member of the State Bar of
California, Nevada State Bar Association, Stanislaus County Bar Association;
Elks; Mason; and is a member of the Episcopal Church (chancellor of San Joaquin
Diocese).
In 1917 Mr. Cook was married to
Elsie Jennings (deceased 1923); children: Gale and Jeremy. On May 9, 1925, he
married (2d) Ruth Hedman; children: Geoffrey, Hilary,
and Corinne.
Residence: 201 Sequoia Avenue, Turlock, California.
Office: Berg Building, Turlock, California
Transcribed By: Cecelia M. Setty.
Source: “Eminent Californians 1953”,
by Lee E. Johnson & C. W. Taylor. Page 383, C. W. Taylor
Publ., Palo Alto, California, 1953.
© 2014 Cecelia M. Setty.
.